(Ann Arbor, MI) — The Michigan Court of Appeals has upheld the University of Michigan’s ban on firearms by affirming the decision of the Michigan Court of Claims. The Court of Appeals noted, “Given that at the historically relevant period, universities were understood to be schools, and, further, that Heller recognized that schools were sensitive places to which Second Amendment protections did not extend, we conclude as a matter of law that (U-M’s gun ban) does not burden conduct protected by the Second Amendment.” The appeals court also rejected the Plaintiff’s argument that the University of Michigan ban is unlawful because state law prohibits local units of government from regulating firearms. A university is not a local unit of government, the court said.

The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus, which has advocated against firearms in Michigan’s K-12 schools and on college campuses, applauded the decision by the Court. Tuesday’s decsions follows another decision by the Court of Appeals in December 2016, where the Court rejected the argument that state law “preempted” the powers of public schools to regulate the presence of concealed weaopns in K-12 schools. Andy Pelosi, Executive Director of The Campaign, stated: “Throughout the country, many state legislatures have become more and more emboldened to attempt to change laws that either forbid guns on campus by statute or provide colleges and universities with the ability to regulate the presence of guns on campus. The Court’s decision re-affirms that colleges and universities deserve protection from firearms as “sensitive places” as noted in the Supreme Court’s Heller decision.

Marvin Lim, counsel to The Campaign added, “The court’s decision is right, as a matter of law: the public university system, not the state legislature, is constitutionally in control over guns in school. And the court’s conclusion is right, as a matter of practical sense: far better than the state legislature, the public university system knows what impact guns in schools would have. Here, the University of Michigan rightfully recognized that guns have no place on its campus.”

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About The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus

The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus was founded in 2008 to urge colleges and universities to band together to oppose the gun lobby’s agenda to push loaded, concealed guns onto college campuses. To date, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and more than 420 colleges and universities in 42 states have joined The Campaign. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Tallahassee, FL. — Minutes ago, the Florida Legislature adjourned without passing legislation in the Senate and House that would have forced Florida’s public colleges and universities to allow people with concealed weapons permits to carry virtually anywhere on campus.

The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus (The Campaign), along with coalition partners that included the Florida Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, the Association of Florida Colleges, as well as faculty, student government associations and campus groups all advocated in opposition to help defeat guns on campus legislation for the third year in a row.

Kathryn Grant, Director, State Affairs for The Campaign stated, “As a result of the hard work of campus community stakeholders, and a united bi-artisan effort in the Florida Legislature, five bills that would have severely compromised the safety and well-being of faculty, students, staff, and college administrators have failed. Florida’s colleges and universities will now not only maintain their top national rankings, but our state’s academic leaders can continue to work towards realizing an important goal of fostering the best public higher educational institutions in the country.”

Andy Pelosi, Executive Director of The Campaign closed by saying, “Given that Arkansas and Georgia have signed dangerous legislation to allow the carrying of loaded, concealed weapons in many places on campus, today’s defeat of campus carry in Florida is a major victory for campus communities across the state. We would be remiss for not acknowledging the bi-partisan opposition in the Florida State Senate that paved the way for the demise of this wrongheaded policy once again this year.”

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ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN TO KEEP GUNS OFF CAMPUS

The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus was founded in 2008 to urge colleges and universities to band together to oppose the gun lobby’s agenda to push loaded, concealed guns onto college campuses. To date, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and more than 420 colleges and universities in 42 states have joined the Campaign. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Atlanta, GA – Earlier this evening, Gov. Nathan Deal signed HB 280, the campus carry bill previously passed by the Georgia General Assembly. The legislation forces Georgia’s public colleges and universities to allow Georgian’s with concealed weapons permits, and residents from states that do not require a permit, who could be as young as 18 years-old, to carry virtually anywhere on campus, with only limited exceptions.

Despite last year issuing some of the most extraordinary language about the limits of the Second Amendment and the costs of campus carry, Gov. Deal ultimately ceded to vociferous calls by the National Rifle Association and Georgia Carry. As of July 1st, Georgia will join ten other states that also force colleges and universities in various forms to allow loaded, concealed guns on campus (Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin).

The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus, which worked extensively over the last 7 years to defeat guns on campus legislation, condemned Gov. Deal’s decision. Kathryn Grant, State Affairs Director of The Campaign stated: “Gov. Deal dismissed the urging of Georgia’s faculty, students, parents, the University System and law enforcement to reject this policy, one that will have far reaching negative consequences. With his signing of HB 280 he has abandoned our campus communities and common sense.”

Andy Pelosi, Executive Director of The Campaign closed by saying: “Gov. Deal’s backpedaling is extraordinary, considering the strength of his 2016 veto statement: ‘From the early days of our nation and state, colleges have been treated as sanctuaries of learning where firearms have not been allowed. To depart from such time-honored protections should require overwhelming justification. I do not find that such justification exists.’ That justification still does not exist, despite the Governor’s statement where he said he was signing ‘because it may have greater significance for students who are going to or from a campus and may have to travel through dangerous territory.’ The Governor cited crime waves taking place without any data and failed to prove that unarmed people are being singled out. Ultimately, the signing of HB 280 is a gift to the gun lobby and should tarnish Gov. Deal’s legacy. If the safety of students, staff and administrators were they key issue, then the General Assembly and Governor missed an opportunity to address root causes and solutions. Today is indeed, a sad day for higher education in Georgia.”

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ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN TO KEEP GUNS OFF CAMPUS

The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus was founded in 2008 to urge colleges and universities to band together to oppose the gun lobby’s agenda to push loaded, concealed guns onto college campuses. To date, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and more than 420 colleges and universities in 42 states have joined the Campaign. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

(Atlanta, GA): The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus issued the following statement and released its letter written and delivered to Governor Nathan Deal in connection with the substantive reasons that campus carry should not become law in Georgia.

STATEMENT FROM THE CAMPAIGN TO KEEP GUNS OFF CAMPUS

“In May 2016, Governor Deal, wrote one of the most powerful statements against campus carry, in issuing his veto of the bill (HB859). The points he made – that campus carry is well outside longstanding tradition of the Second Amendment, that its potential costs give no good reason to alter course, and that campus crime can, and under his watch would, be addressed in much better ways – stand just as strongly in 2017. (See full letter)

Along the way, The Campaign points out how not just American history, but Georgia history shows campus carry has never been a Second Amendment right – and that no way of writing this bill can address Gov. Deal’s overarching doubts that this would address crime (and, for that matter problems of campus suicide and unintentional injuries) in a way that justifies going against history. We also point to a variety of initiatives showing how Georgia higher education has addressed – and, with still untried initiatives, can truly continue to combat – campus crime, and in a way that does not merely exacerbate it by allowing individuals to carry loaded, concealed weapons on Georgia’s higher education campuses.

In the waning days of the 2017 Georgia General Assembly session, with the fate of over half a million Georgia students, faculty, staff and visitors in the hands of legislators, we first call on the Senate to stop HB 280 and any similar legislation that will contradict Governor Deal’s cogent veto message, and if they fail in this mission, we implore Governor Deal to veto campus carry again this year.”

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ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN TO KEEP GUNS OFF CAMPUS

The Campaign to Keep Guns off Campus was founded in 2008 to urge colleges and universities to band together to oppose the gun lobby’s agenda to push loaded, concealed guns onto college campuses. To date, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and more than 420 colleges and universities in 42 states have joined the Campaign. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

(Atlanta, GA) – The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus issued the following statement in response to yesterday’s decision by the Georgia Supreme Court upholding the state’s longstanding ban on firearms in K-12 schools.

“Georgia Carry has lost its appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court to permit firearms in K-12 schools. The Court upheld the current law, which allows firearms license holders to carry on school property only while transporting, picking up, or dropping off students.

The dispute arose after Gov. Deal signed two conflicting bills in 2014. House Bill 826 expanded carry beyond student pick-up and drop-off – including allowing carry within school buildings. However, as the Court recognized, House Bill 60, which Gov. Deal signed afterwards, superseded the bill.

House Bill 60 left unchanged Georgia’s historical restrictions on carry in K-12 school beyond student transport. However, it expanded carry in many other places, including churches, airports, and bars, thus becoming known as the “Guns Everywhere” bill. The Campaign worked to oppose both HB 826 and HB 60, successfully advocating for the removal of campus carry from HB 60.

“Yesterday’s decision by the Court reinforces the levelheaded notion that guns have no place in K-12 schools, and highlighted the gun lobby’s continuing failure to usurp consistent recognition, by courts, legislatures, and most Americans alike, that schools are sensitive places where guns should be prohibited.”

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About The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus

The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus was founded in 2008 to urge colleges and universities to band together to oppose the gun lobby’s agenda to push loaded, concealed guns onto college campuses. To date, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and more than 420 colleges and universities in 42 states have joined The Campaign. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.